Say when
by TheSadMachine
Summary: Born to be the ultimate weapon of all, Luce has the greatest responsibility. As she travels with Ventus will she stay true to her duty on the line? Or reach for something she cannot simply be? Human. Game: Birth by Sleep Ventusxoc OcxVentus Venxoc OcxVen Ven/Oc


**Title: **Say When

**Pairing: **Ventus, Oc, Vanitas

**Author: **TheSadMachine

**Type:** Multi Chapters

**Genre: **Romance, adventure

**Summary: **Born to be the ultimate weapon of all, Luce has the greatest responsibility. As she travels with Ventus will she stay true to her duty on the line? Or reach for something she cannot simply be? Human.

Game: Birth by Sleep

Ventusxoc OcxVentus Venxoc OcxVen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything except my oc. Please remember that.

**Comments: **Welcome! And to those who come from reading 'I'm only human' I would like to thank you so much for giving me the support I needed to keep typing up KH stories :3 if It wasn't for you then I would have never typed this up, I only hope you guys like it.

Sorry about the late update, I've just been having some issues with my life but I am updating as best I can. So thank you for waiting for me. :) Your patience truly means a lot to me T_T.

Please either review or pm me about which one you want me to update otherwise I will just do it randomly.

* * *

_1_

_**Fast Car**_

_World: The Destiny Islands_

* * *

Just over the horizon, the sun was setting and the last moments of its light glinted in the oceans waters. The young man witnessing the beauty of the setting sun had been watching from an island while absentmindedly watching the tranquil waves shift ever so slightly. His hair was silver and his clothes were dark but his face could not be seen since his back was turned to face the horizon.

"This world is just too small."

The image flickered and faded away to reveal the same scenery, only the night was upon the horizon and a man with a dark coat watched while he carried a blanketed person in his arm.

He carried it all the way to a high platform of the island where a tree with star shaped fruit resided. The man's voice broke the silence and he spoke with a wise tremor in his voice.

"There, you see? An empty world, like a prison," he hoisted the blanketed individual over the curved tree trunk that held the star shaped fruit. "I imagine you'll be right at home."

A voice stirred inside the boy as he allowed his empty blue eyes to shut.

* * *

_Hey, where am I?_

_Who's there?_

* * *

The waves crashed just a level below the man as the sound of footsteps approached him, the footsteps of a young girl. She had been trailing far behind but the man in the dark coat had already turned to make his leave with hands behind his back that suggested he was a wise age.

"What...what's going to happen to him?" she asked. Her hair was a soft brown and her eyes were a dark brown.

The man did not respond as he continued his stride. The girl gasped as the unconscious boy had raised his hand up high in the air. The man turned to see that a keyblade had now appeared in the boys hand with light outlining it.

"A keyblade?"

Lights warped into the tip of the keyblade as a light beamed from it sailing high into the air and crashing into the sky. Twinkling lights sprinkled and rained down at them, prompting the girl to reach out to touch them.

A soft smile spread across her lips as some of the lights disappeared into her hands. However, the joy on her face was short lived for the man spoke up.

"You do realize what this means..." he turned to glance back at her over his shoulder. "Your purpose in life."

The words registered slowly into her mind and she gave him a brief nod but as he turned to see the boy, her eyes downcast.

* * *

Doors burst open revealing light and a chain of gold and a piece of earth for its foundation. The gold chains shimmered to form the words...

_Land of Departure_

* * *

The stars stretched across the sky each twinkling with bright warm lush lights. As the stars began to beam quickly across the sky like paint on a canvas, it caught the attention of a blonde haired boy with blue eyes. He had caught the miraculous sight just outside the window of his bedroom.

"A meteor shower!"

In his excitement he left behind his room to go see them.

* * *

In another room of that same building, a girl was sitting on the window pane. She gazed up at the stars with watered eyes. Her long brown hair cascaded past her shoulders in soft curls and reached just above her hips.

[Music starts(1) the sound of an acoustic guitar strums along...]

_You got a fast car  
I want a ticket to anywhere  
Maybe we can make a deal  
Maybe together we can get somewhere  
_

A tiny smile tugged at her lips as a single tear rolled down her cheek and hit the tiny object in her hands. The broken colorful shards in her hands made it hard to tell what it was before...when it was whole.

_Any place is better  
Starting from zero got nothing to lose  
Maybe we'll make something  
But me myself I got nothing to prove _

[The music trails off until there is nothing left]

* * *

The blonde haired boy from before gazed up at the sky to see another two stars race down.

"Wow!"

He laid down with his back on the ground and placed the palms of his hands to serve as a cushion for the back of his head. Now that he was in a comfortable position he took in the beautiful sight of the meteor shower.

"Why," he began to question aloud to himself "does it all seem so familiar?"

It wasn't long before sleep overcame him and he allowed himself to rest. Once he opened his eyes from the nap he pulled himself up to sit up and yawn. He then attempted to return to his previous position before being startled by the image of a young blue haired woman smiling down at him.

"Gimme a break Aqua."

In response Aqua let out a light chuckle as he pulled himself up to face her, his knees resting on the grass.

"Ven, you hopeless sleepyhead," she began to say "you know you should've at least brought a blanket."

"But..." the words drifted from Ven's mouth "did I really dream that place up? It really felt like I'd been there before...looking up at the stars..."

She laughed softly before ruffling his hair.

"Except you've always been with us."

"Yeah," Ven nodded in agreement and smiled. "I know"

Once he stood up the both of them went on the edge of the summit where the only thing that kept them from falling over happened to be a long line of concrete. Once they sat down, Ven had the urge to ask Aqua where the lights of the stars came from.

"Hmm," she pondered the thought "Well, they say-"

Someone else's voice cut off her sentence.

"That every star up there is another world."

They both turned to see a young man of Aqua's age with brown hair and bronze armor covering parts of his body.

"Terra" when Aqua said his name he smiled.

"Yep, hard to believe there are so many worlds out there besides our own" he replied. "The light is their hearts and it's shining down on us like a million lanterns."

"What?" Ven asked turning to face him, unable to understand his reference. "I don't get it"

"In other words, they're just like you Ven" Terra answered him.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"You'll find out some day, I'm sure of it" Terra reassured him.

"I wanna know now" Ven urged stubbornly.

"You're too young to know now."

"Quit treating me like a kid."

Aqua's laughter broke their small dispute and they turned to look at her.

"Hey," Terra called "What are you laughing at?"

She laughed into the back of her hand unable to keep the laughter a bay.

"I can't help it. You two would make the weirdest brothers" she finally explained. Both Ven and Terra raised their eyebrows in confusion until they eventually joined in the laughter with her too.

* * *

The night was still young but after a while of gazing up at the stars, Aqua felt the need to bring up something to Terra.

"Oh yeah," Aqua pulled herself up from her spot and stood back on the grass. "You and I have our mark of mastery exams tomorrow."

Both males turned around to see her rummaging through her pockets as she revealed three necklaces with star shaped pendants.

"I made us good luck charms" she said with a warm smile. She threw each one for them to catch and Ven was shocked that he received one too.

"I get one too?" he asked with a look of awe in his eyes.

"Of course. One for each of us."

They stood together to align their star shaped necklaces in a triangle.

"Somewhere out there," Aqua began "there's this tree with a star shaped fruit that represents an unbreakable connection."

She walked back a couple of steps and referred to the small blue charm in her hand.

"So as long as you and your friends carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing could ever drive you apart. You will always find your way back to each other." she turned around as they were already focused on her.

"Technically, I think you're supposed to make them with seashells but I did the best with what I had" Aqua mused.

"Oy," Terra teased "sometimes you're such a girl."

"Hey," she narrowed her eyes in response "What do you mean 'sometimes'?"

Ven sighed and felt a bit saddened.

"So these aren't real luck charms?" he asked.

"Well, that's yet to be seen but I did work a little magic on it" Aqua admitted.

"Really? What?" he asked, now intrigued.

She smiled and lifted the charm high in the sky, as high as her arm could reach.

"An unbreakable connection".

"Well the exam's tomorrow so anyone wanna spar?" Terra offered.

"I can take ya!" Ven agreed.

All three began to spar with one another, losing track of the time and only focused on landing effective blows on each other. After they decided they were done, Ventus spoke up.

"Trust me," Ven said with a smile "You guys are ready. You're gonna clean up at the exam tomorrow."

"I hope it's that easy" Terra commented.

"It's like the master said. Power is born within the heart when the time is right, you just need to look inside yourself...and you'll find it there" Aqua reminded them.

Ven nodded at the recollection and then gave his attention back at the sky.

"Hey," Terra's voice regained his attention "We're gonna head back."

"Yeah me too" Ven answered.

They all began to head back down the summit and Aqua lingered behind. Her blue eyes caught the sight of a falling star causing her to clutch her charm.

"Together," she whispered softly "always."

* * *

A combination of three voices express the same words.

"_That would be the last night we ever spent beneath the same stars._"

* * *

Tidal waves crashed and curled over a dark mouse with big round ears. He'd been drifting on a large open book but the fierce tides gave him not a single ounce of kindness.

A whirlpool wound up dragging him in and he snapped his eyes shut for what was to come. When he opened his eyes again he hit solid ground hard and found that he was no longer fighting with the oceans waters but instead he was in a bright room.

It seemed as if the mouse knew of the place as he paid no mind to the bookcases or the other oddities that stuck out in the room. Instead the mouse made his way to stand before a man with a long gray beard and pointed hat decorated with bright yellow stars. Perhaps his most distinguishing feature circled around his bulging eyes that seemed to pop out of their sockets. He appeared to be calmly sitting behind a large desk which the mouse could barely peek over.

The mouse cradled his injured head as the bearded man allowed his eyes to close.

"Mickey...I cannot shake the feeling something terrible is about to transpire" the man replied.

Mickey just tilted his head to the side in confusion.

* * *

Beautiful ribbons of colors streamed through the stain glass window. Still, Ventus could not help but feel that someone was watching him. He spotted his friends standing behind two steps that distanced them from the wooden thrones before them. Aqua's and Terra's backs were facing him but as his gaze continued further, he met the eyes of a bald headed old man. He couldn't quite tell if his eyes were yellow or just a sleeping molten color but nonetheless Ventus averted his eyes. He groaned as if he'd been caught doing something unprofessional and he gasped, standing up as straight as he could to avoid a scolding.

The man known as Master Eraqus looked over Aqua and Terra as they patiently waited for their test to commence.

"Today you will be examined for the mark of mastery," Master Eraqus declared. "Not one but two of the Keyblade's chosen stand here as candidates...but this is neither a competition nor a battle for supremacy- Not a test of wills, but a test of heart. Both of you may prevail or neither."

Then Master Eraqus gestured towards the bald man resting on one of the thrones and continued.

"But I am sure our guest, Master Xehanort...did not travel all this way to see our youngest prospects in years fall short on the mark. I trust you are ready."

"Yes," Terra and Aqua both replied in unison.

"Then let the examination begin!" Master Eraqus claimed. He got into position and aligned his palm parallel to that of his keyblade before letting a pulse of energy run through. This act summoned spheres of translucent light to encircle the room.

No one spotted what Master Xehanort was doing. He was working his wrist as dark ribbons ghosted around, and almost immediately the orbs reacted. They became tainted with those same ribbons as well with lines of electricity slipping around them.

Aqua and Terra both gasped at the sudden change but instead of halting, they rushed forward to disperse the first one in their sight. One of the orbs soared past them and rushed towards Ven.

"Ven!" Terra and Aqua both cried.

In reaction, Ven called his keyblade and jumped high to rip the keyblade forward and into the orbs core. The impact destroyed it instantly and Ven looked over to his friends.

"Don't worry about me," Ven yelled "You two focus on the Exam!"

Terra and Aqua stood back to back in the middle of a dozen of those orbs, they stayed attentive if any were to dare come close.

"But Ven!" Aqua replied, "You're in danger here! Go wait in your room!"

At her response Ven shook his head.

"No way! I've been looking forward to this- seeing you two become masters. I'm not gonna miss it now!" Ven answered back.

Terra was occupied but still decided to reason with Aqua.

"He can take care of himself. He's been out there training just as hard as us."

"Yeah!" Ventus agreed.

"Stay sharp Ven!" Aqua called out.

He made a dash for one, rapidly striking it along with two other orbs that drifted behind it. In moments they seemed to clear out many orbs and just as they sighed in relief, another manifested right behind him. It burst out brightly but Aqua couldn't reach it for it was right behind Ven.

Terra made a run for it but staggered back from its powerful beam. It was inches away from hurting Ventus too but a silver arrow ripped through it, ridding it of its existence in mere seconds of impact.

"Where did that come from?" Aqua asked, her voice uncertain. She glanced in all directions for an answer. The only thing that pulled them out of their paranoia was the sound of Master Xehanort clearing his throat. Now that he had their attention he spoke in the most calm manner possible.

"My apologies, injuring the boy would be the last thing we want occurring no?"

Master Eraqus stared at him for a moment until eventually giving him a slight nod.

"Yes, I suppose so. After all we are here to test Aqua and Terra only," he took a couple of steps forward to continue. "That challenge was a bit unexpected but one must keep a still heart. Even in the most trying of circumstances. It was an excellent test. One I chose to let unfold."

Terra and Aqua both walked forward in their previous spot to continue the exam.

"Which brings us to our next trail. Now Terra and Aqua, the two of you will face each other in combat," as Master Eraqus explained this, both of them faced each other. "Remember there are no winners- only truths, for when equal powers clash their nature is revealed."

They called forth their keyblade's and readied themselves for battle.

As soon as Master Eraqus said that one word, they darted for one another.

"Begin!"

Their battle was so intense that Ventus could not dare to tear his eyes away from them. Sparks flew as their blades met. Terra attempted to swing again only for Aqua to draw back her right foot to evade. She quickly spun about on the balls of her feet to meet another threat of his blade and neither let up.

She back flips and jumps back to avoid another fluctuation of his Keyblade. Now that she saw a slight opening, she raised her Keyblade forward into a high ark. Terra stepped back to evade her blade just narrowly avoiding the blade as it almost cut through the cartilage of the tip of his nose.

For the spec of a second, the darkness began to fester into his free hand but Terra forced it back as Aqua came for yet another attack but he blocked it in time. Minutes that feel like hours rush by and they are called to stop.

Now as they face their masters again, Terra and Aqua try to catch their breaths.

"We have deliberated and reached a decision. Terra, Aqua, you both performed commendably. However, only Aqua has shown the mark of mastery. Terra you failed to keep the darkness within you sufficiently in check. But there is always next time. That is all." Master Eraqus replied and Terra tried to keep his shocked face from revealing itself. "Aqua, as our newest keyblade master you are entitled to certain knowledge. Please wait here for further instruction."

As everyone dispersed, Ven made his way to approach Terra.

"Terra, I'm sorry," Ven apologized but Terra still kept his head lowered.

"The darkness..." he spoke to himself. "Where did it come from?"

* * *

Once Xehanort had taken a stroll down a large staircase, he found himself with bitter distaste at the young girl standing a few feet away from another figure. The other figure was resting against the wall with helmet in hand, his name, Vanitas.

"Do you realize what you could have _cost_ me?"

The brunette flinched at his words and mumbled apologies while attempting to flatten herself against the wall behind her.

"He could've gotten hurt," she attempted to reason but he didn't digest her words in the manner that she'd hoped. Instead Xehanort worked his wrist slightly, conjuring black smoke and blue electricity around his hand once more.

"Maybe I haven't taught you respect well enough," he mused.

Her eyes went wide and frantic as if she were familiar with that power. If she tried to fight him off she'd only make her position that much worse. Instead she braced herself for the impact but it didn't come.

She slowly cracked open her eyes to see that Vanitas had halted his action by gripping Xehanort's forearm back. The dark aura swirling around Xehanort's hand dissipated and he was left with a look of annoyance.

"Don't touch what belongs to me," Vanitas' voice was stern and Xehanort backed off.

"I'll trust that you will take care of Ventus," he replied bitterly, reluctant to ease away but he eventually did. He continued on the path and the girl didn't move until he left their sight.

"Th...," she attempted to make the words but they were barely a whisper "Thank you."

Vanitas turned to her and with his helmet on, it was hard to see his expression at all.

"You have no right to speak to me," the tone of his voice was harsh "When you're not even human."

As Vanitas continued down the path that Xehanort disappeared from, she couldn't help but glance back up the stairs.

"Luce,"

When Vanitas called her name she instantly looked back at him.

"Let's go," he gestured her slightly to follow and she trailed after.

* * *

Ventus was back in his room and resting on his bed but he wasn't necessarily napping. Instead he was practicing with a wooden keyblade that had Terra's name carved on the handle.

He sighed and stared at it momentarily only for his thoughts to be disrupted by the sound of a loud bell. Without hesitation, he darted for the open door to stop when a voice spoke behind him.

"Better hurry, Ventus..."

In reaction Ventus turned to face someone of his stature with a dark clouded helmet hiding his face. He rested his elbows on a desk, giving the impression that he had a rather calm exterior.

"Huh? Who are you?" he demanded but it seemed that this stranger just chose to ignore him instead.

"Or you will never see Terra again,"

"What? Get real. I can see Terra anytime I want," Ventus argued.

"Like right now? He's leaving you behind and by the time you catch up..." he shifted his neck to face him. "He'll be a different person."

"Look- Whoever you are- You don't know the first thing about Terra," he held up the wooden keyblade and pressed his free palm against the handle of the keyblade. "Him and me will always be a team. You trying to pick a fight or what?"

The stranger in his room didn't regard him as a threat at all and merely removed himself from the comfort of the desk.

"Oh, grow up," he replied, almost in a scoff. He walked across his room and halted to where Ventus could only see his back. "Is that what you call friendship? You'll never know the truth unless you go out and look for it yourself."

He turned to look back at Ventus and as he spoke, Ventus could feel that he was mocking him.

"Come on. What could you possibly know when you're stuck here," a dark portal rose in front of him. "Looking at nothing else but what's in your tiny world."

Ventus could not say anything more for the stranger disappeared into the dark portal in fleeting seconds.

His eyes downcast as he remembered all the moments he and Terra shared. These moments were in threat of being ripped from him and he could not bear that thought.

"Terra!" he ran out the door and found his friend outside and in front of the main building. As he was running down the stairs to meet him, he yelled his name.

Terra looked back and found that Ventus was trying to catch his breath like if he just ran a marathon. Before he could say anything, Terra placed a hand on his head to ruffle his hair.

"It's okay," Terra told him.

They both had eye contact as if they both knew what was going down. Terra was the one to break the eye contact and turn from him. He walked a good distance forward before smashing a closed fist against the shoulder of his arm guard. It triggered a wave of digital lines to run aimlessly around it.

Ventus was briefly blinded by the light of his transformation and opened his eyes to see small lights of electricity travel around Terra's armor. It covered him in gold, copper and bronze from head to toe but before Ventus could admire the armor any more, Terra conjured his Keyblade.

With a swift swing of his keyblade, he was able to create a large warp hole in the sky. Then he drew back his Keyblade and allowed it to soar behind him and out of his reach. The keyblade in turn soared though the air like a boomerang before breaking into a glittering light and transforming into a means of transportation.

As soon as the transportation banked near them, Terra jumped on. He circled around Ventus before shooting up straightforward into the sky and into the warp hole. Ventus then realized that he needed to follow closely as well, and triggered his own armor and transportation.

As he raised up into the warp hole in the sky, he could hear Aqua's voice drifting further and further away.

"Wait! Ven!"

* * *

Atop the highest building in the Land of Depature, Luce was clutching a bright blue pendant in hand. She looked down at the pendant, seeing the stars that were trapped inside of it.

"I have to do this.." she told herself. Vanitas had disappeared from her sight and if she didn't regroup with him soon he would become angry. Her fingers trembled around the smooth surface of the pendant but she needed to recall him in her thoughts if she was to see him again. She closed her eyes and concentrated on his image but for a slight second, she remembered _him_.

_It must be great to have people that care about you so much._

In reaction a warm light engulfed her and then a star soared into the sky in a flurry of multicolored lights.

* * *

(1) Fast car Cover by Boyce Avenue (Original by Tracy Chapman)

**AN: don't forget to review! So far it seems that people want Your Guardian Angel to be updated most. So don't forget to either review or leave me a pm saying which one you want me to update otherwise it will be random. I was going to leave a poll but it might be faster this way.**

**When I typed this up I kept feeling compelled to type Roxas here and there. xD So if you find one please tell me so that I can fix it! .**


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